“It’s Not a Biopic, It’s a Jukebox.” — Ryan Coogler’s “Spring 2026” Project Leaks a Controversial Plot Twist that Changes How We Will See the Purple One.

A familiar fault line has opened in pop culture, and at its center is Prince. New leaked production details surrounding an upcoming Prince-related film produced by Ryan Coogler have revealed a creative twist few fans expected: the project is not a traditional biopic at all. Instead, it is being developed as a jukebox musical built around Prince’s catalog, using a fictional narrative rather than a literal retelling of his life.

The film, backed by Universal Pictures and produced through Coogler’s Proximity Media, is now reportedly eyeing a Spring 2026 production start. The revelation has ignited intense debate online, splitting Prince’s fanbase between those who feel cheated of a definitive life story and others who argue that this approach is, paradoxically, the most Prince thing possible.

According to leaked notes circulating in industry circles, the script—written by Bryan Edward Hill—does not follow Prince Rogers Nelson from Minneapolis prodigy to global icon. Instead, it constructs a stylized, possibly contemporary or time-fluid world where Prince’s music drives an original story, much in the way Mamma Mia! or Across the Universe repurposed existing catalogs into new emotional frameworks.

One reason for the pivot appears to be respect rather than avoidance. Insiders suggest the Prince Estate views Purple Rain—directed by Albert Magnoli—as the closest thing to a sanctioned cinematic myth of Prince’s early life. Attempting a cradle-to-grave biopic risks redundancy, comparison, and the kind of flattening Prince himself resisted throughout his career.

In that context, a jukebox musical becomes less of a workaround and more of a philosophical statement. Prince famously rejected retrospection, reinvention-by-numbers, and nostalgia packaging. He treated songs as living organisms—meant to mutate, collide, and reappear in unexpected forms. A fictional narrative powered by his music arguably aligns more closely with how he understood art than a fact-checked dramatization ever could.

Casting speculation has only intensified the conversation. Because the film doesn’t require a literal Prince impersonator, the lead role is now framed as an embodiment rather than a recreation. Fan discussions frequently name Donald Glover for his genre-blurring sensibility, while others point to Bruno Mars for his technical fluency in Prince’s musical language. There is also growing buzz that the production may follow the Wicked model—casting an unknown Broadway performer capable of channeling Prince’s physicality and vocal range without mimicry.

The film is just one pillar of a broader Prince-focused 2026 slate. A Purple Rain stage musical is already in motion, vault releases are rumored, and the estate is clearly recalibrating how Prince’s legacy is presented after years of legal and creative stalemates.

Whether this jukebox approach ultimately feels revelatory or evasive remains to be seen. But one thing is already clear: this project is not asking audiences to remember Prince. It’s asking them to experience him again—through imagination, not chronology. And that may be the most honest tribute of all.